At age 4, children are full of creativity and curiosity. They're starting to explore big ideas and expand their vocabulary and are ready for more detailed stories, richer language and characters that challenge them to think and feel.

Books are a brilliant way to support all of this development, but with so many to choose from, how do you pick the right book that your little reader will enjoy?

With help from trusted parent recommendations in the MadeForMums Top Testers Club, we've rounded up the very best books for 4 year olds — from timeless classics to laugh-out-loud new adventures — to help you find the best books for your 4 year old.

From popular books and authors such as Julia Donaldson and Dr Seuss, to new books that you might not have discovered yet, the books on this list will engage, entertain and inspire your 4 year old.

Whether you're after a story that gets them giggling, helps them navigate feelings, or sparks a conversation, there's something here to delight every little reader.

Best books for 4 year olds at a glance

Best books for 4 years olds to read in 2025

1. Oi Frog! by Kes Gray, £7.99

Best rhyming book for 4 year olds

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Oi Frog book product shot

Oi Frog was one of the most-recommended books by parents in our Top Testers Club, with the book being praised for its rhyming, humour, characters and repetition.

Full of funny rhymes and brimming with silly animals and fun characters, this hilarious book is great because it not only delights 4 year olds, it educates them too. Parent tester Carmel said "the Oi Frog books are amazing at helping with rhyming development" and parent tester Georg said "the Oi Frog series was recommended to us when we had our parents' phonics class at my son's nursery to prepare him for school, because of the rhyming sounds and repetition of letters."

This is a great book that is sure to entertain your children as they grow too. Parent tester Emma said, "my 4 year old loves the Oi Frog books, they’ve been a firm fave for over a year now and now she’s that bit older she likes trying to read the words by herself!" and parent tester Joanne told us, "my son loved these books when he was 4 (he’s 6 now) and he still likes to read them now. He finds them so funny and the rhyming is great."

And if your child does love Oi Frog, there are more titles in the collection too — you can choose from Oi Dog, Oi Cat, Oi Duck-Billed Platypus and Oi Puppies.

I'd recommend Oi Frog. We discovered it via school, as kids start reading at this age and it was awesome. It was great for them learning different words, sounds and rhyming. Any of the Oi range is so funny, amazing illustrations and brilliant for building up imaginations in such little ones.
Parent tester Hayley

Available from: Amazon, Waterstones

2. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, £7.99

Best Julia Donaldson book for 4 year olds

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The Gruffalo book product shot

No children's book list would be complete without Julia Donaldson. Parents repeatedly told us how much they and their 4 year olds love this author's work, parent tester Kirsty said, "we love Julia Donaldson books, they are funny, captivating and engaging both with the story and illustrations. They are also great at stretching that attention span of a 4 year old" and parent tester Charlie said, "for us the Julia Donaldson books are fab. They have really captured my daughter’s imagination. They offer easy reading for us too."

And no Julia Donaldson book is more iconic than The Gruffalo. Parent tester Fathima told us "my son loves all the Julia Donaldson books, but The Gruffalo is his favourite." This modern classic features wonderful rhymes, iconic illustrations and an enchanting story that children really love.

The Gruffalo clearly makes an impression with kids, so much so that parent tester Siobhan said that her son "liked to do impressions of The Gruffalo" and parent tester Rebbecca told us, "we regularly recite The Gruffalo as we go about our normal day."

An absolute must-have for every child's bookshelf — and a great introduction to a beloved author's work.

Julia Donaldson’s books are our absolute go-to — The Highway Rat and The Gruffalo are firm favourites. The illustrations are vibrant and full of character, which is completely engaging for the kids. Her use of rhyme and rhythm makes the stories catchy and fun to read aloud, while also helping to develop phonemic awareness for little ones. As a parent, I also really appreciate the rich language throughout her books—it’s a great way for kids to naturally expand their vocabulary while enjoying a good story.
Parent tester Carol

Available from: Amazon, The Works, Waterstones

3. The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr, £7.99

Best classic book for 4 year olds

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The Tiger Who Came to Tea product shot

The Tiger Who Came to Tea is a classic book for a reason — and it was one of the most-recommended books by our Top Testers. Parent testers Jenny, Jemma and Lauren told us: "it has been a fave for years," "it's a big favourite in our house" and "we love the classics like the Tiger Who Came to Tea."

This classic picture book has been delighting children (and parents!) for over 50 years with the story that follows Sophie and her extraordinary teatime guest. The story is funny, charming and heartwarming and the vivid and bold illustrations are now iconic. This is a great, classic book for 4 year olds to read along with, or to read to themselves as their reading confidence increases.

My child absolutely loved this book. It really provoked his imagination and he found it very funny. It also led on to us doing lots of role play tea parties!
Parent tester Daisy

Available from: Amazon, Waterstones

4. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, £7.99

Best read-aloud book for 4 year olds

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Green Eggs and Ham product shot

Another classic children's book, Dr. Seuss's timeless Green Eggs and Ham is a joyous rhyming adventure, and a great book for 4 year olds to read themselves. This iconic book only has 50 words and for children, it is a great introduction to the joy and magic of reading.

Filled with memorable illustrations and captivating rhymes, it's a wonderful book by a highly recommended author, parent tester Amy said "my son loves Dr Seuss books for his bedtime stories, especially Green Eggs and Ham!" and parent tester Brooke told us, "I highly recommend the Dr. Seuss books! They are colourful and interesting to read but also have a good moral behind every story. I grew up being read these books and now I read to them all my children who love them and can join in reading them as well."

I'd recommend Green Eggs and Ham, it's a classic rhyming book that uses simple repetition and rhyme to make a fantastic book. The moral of trying something new is a great way to explore eating new food with your kids too.
Parent tester Philippa

Available from: Amazon, Waterstones

5. Barbara Throws a Wobbler by Nadia Shireen

Best book about emotions for 4 year olds

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Barbara Throws a Wobbler product shot

We know that talking with children about their feelings can be tricky, and books that help explain emotions can be extremely useful as children try to navigate and understand what they're feeling. We love Barbara Throws a Wobbler as it achieves this in a funny, but sensitive way.

The story follows Barbara who is in a very bad mood and won't admit it, and eventually her 'Wobbler' is out of control and she must learn to work with it. This book will not only help children to understand and deal with tantrums and anger, it will also have them laughing and enjoying reading along thanks to the clever humour and empathy in the story.

Parent tester Sharmzy told us that this book really does help children (and parents) comprehend their emotions: "I'd recommend Barbara Throws a Wobbler. My kids love this book as it helps them understand their feelings. It's great for parents as well."

There is also another book in the collection: Geoffrey Gets the Jitters (£7.99 at Waterstones), which follows an anxious dog as he finds ways to stop worrying about school.

Barbara Throws a Wobbler is a huge hit in our house because of the rhyming. It also helps kids understand their emotions and how to deal with them.
Parent tester Victoria

Available from: Amazon, Waterstones

6. Rabbit and Bear series by Julian Gough, £7.99

Best first chapter books for 4 year olds

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Rabbit and Bear book product shot

Recommended by parent tester Jodie as a "great introduction to chapter books," the Rabbit & Bear series has short chapters, captivating illustrations and lovable stories that 4 year olds will love.

The first book in the series, Rabbit and Bear: Rabbit's Bad Habits has an engaging story that teaches kids about friendship, compromise and confronting bad behaviour, and will have them laughing out loud at story time too.

These cheeky and eccentric stories are sure to become modern classics and are a really great introduction to longer books for 4 year olds.

My nearly four year old loves the Rabbit and Bear stories. She finds them hilarious and we're enjoying reading our first longer books with her at bedtime. We've bought them for others and had good feedback from everyone too.
Parent tester Katie

Available from: Waterstones, Amazon

7. The Tale of the Whale by Karen Swann, £7.99

Best lyrical book with an important message for 4 year olds

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The Tale of the Whale product shot

If you're looking for an enchanting story for your 4 year old's story time, The Tale of the Whale is a perfect option. Taking you on a magical journey from seaside shorelines to cold ice capped seas, this beautiful story follows the friendship of a child and a whale and will have children captivated.

Alongside the lyrical, rhyming story of wonder and discovery, what really stands out about this book is its message: it explores our connection to the the natural world and invites the reader to consider responsibilities towards the environment, but in an empowering and positive way.

It's beautifully illustrated with rich images and we think it will be a firm favourite on your 4 year old's bookshelf.

A personal favourite of mine is The Tale of the Whale by Karen Swann — it's all about recycling/ keeping beaches and oceans clean.
Parent tester Emma

Available from: Amazon, Waterstones

8. The Runaway Pea by Kjartan Poskitt, £7.99

Best funny adventure book for 4 year olds

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The Runaway Pea product shot

If your child is a fan of laugh-out-loud funny books, then The Runaway Pea is a must-have for their book collection. This hilarious story follows a fun-loving vegetable who wants to explore his surroundings in the kitchen, but his adventure turns out to be much more perilous than he originally imagined. Children will delight in following the rogue pea has he shoots, flings and bounces across the room in search of a party.

Wildly inventive and thoroughly charming with vivid illustrations and quirky rhymes, The Runaway Pea will be a joyous and wacky but welcome addition to your child's bookshelf.

My 4 year old loves quirky, rhyming books. Her current favourite is The Runaway Pea, which is a series of fun books with lots of plop, splash, bang words to keep her entertained!
Parent tester Donna

Available from: Amazon, Waterstones

9. When a Dragon Goes to School by Caryl Hart, £7.99

Best book about starting school for 4 year olds

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When a Dragon Goes to School product shot

This charming story follows a dragon who tries to navigate an unfamiliar environment — their first day at school. Kids can follow and read along as the dragon has to understand what she should do, and her friends are around to help her behave herself.

This delightful book is beautifully illustrated and full of recognisable pre-school behaviour, it's a perfect pick for kids getting ready to start school or nursery.

This book helps the little ones understand what’s expected at school in a fun, gentle way. The dragon behaves in both the wrong and right way, which opens up conversations without sounding preachy and it’s basically a social story wrapped in fun — perfect for kids finding their feet in the school world!
Parent tester Cait

Available from: Amazon, Waterstones

10. Godfrey is a Frog by Alex Latimer, £7.99

Best book about imagination for 4 year olds

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Godfrey is a Frog MFM Toy Awards 2024

A Silver Award winner at the 2024 MFM Toy Awards, Godfrey is a Frog stood out due to its wide appeal for multiple ages, gorgeous artwork and charming story.

The story follows the tadpole Godfrey on his journey to becoming a frog and features a heartwarming message about learning to love yourself, alongside deadpan humour and wonderful characters.

Parent tester Jennifer, who read this book with her 4-year-old son Harrison said, "we have read this book again and again and my son finds new things each time. The story itself has an important message right through early childhood." Parent tester Katy agreed with the sentiment of the book, she said "I thought this was a lovely story, with a great message about self-acceptance and being kind to yourself and others. Plus, the pictures are colourful and fun." Katy's daughter Elora agreed about the book's images "I like the pictures, especially the one where he was looking at his bum bum, haha!!"

It's a really really good book! Can we read it again?
Child tester Harrison, 4

Available from: Waterstones, Amazon

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Authors

Emily Longman WallDigital Content Producer

Emily is the Digital Content Producer at MadeForMums and creates editorial and video content across the brand. She also edits the weekly editorial newsletter, oversees our reviews process and loves creating our craft articles and videos. She specialises predominantly in car seats and pushchairs, and has yet to meet a buggy she couldn’t fold! With a 1st class degree in History, she always researches topics thoroughly to find the best recommendations for parents.

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